Lever-slot closure



May 29, 1923'. A 1,457,082

P. J. MCCLOSKEY LEVER SLOT CLOSURE Filed March 29 1921 Patented May 29, 1923.

UNrrn f PAUL J'. MCCLOSKEY, OF NEW' BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

y LEVER-SLOT CLOSURE.

Application filed March 29, 192.1. Serial No. l56,770.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that PAUL J. McCLosKnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Brunswick, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, has :invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lever- Slot Closures, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and elicient means, adapted to be applied when desired as an attachment, for closing the clutch lever slot in the floor of an automobile or like vehicle, or obviously any other similar slot permitting the operation of a lever and serving as a guide or clearance therefor, to prevent the access of air from the outside and causing a draught at the feet of the driver of arcar with the attendant discomfort andrisk, it being unavoidable that inthe operation of the car the feet are located near such slot or slots and yone of them usually being arranged more or less directly over the same.

It is a. further object to provide for this purpose a. device which can be applied to any type of car and embodies no moving or sliding parts requiring clearance or' space for movement outside of the area of the lever slot itself and which `when in place will not occupy a position which can by any possibility interfere with the operation of either the lever for which the slot is de-v signed or any other element of the car construction.

With these and related objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, the invention censists in a construction and arrangement of parts of. whichl a preferred embodiment is shown in the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View of the closure applied in operative position -'to a lever slot or guide.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same, showing in dotted lines the deflection of the leaves by the lever as the latter is moved to disengage the clutch.

Figure 3 is a plan view 'of the attachment. Figure 4 is a perspective `view of the leaves. j The closure consists essentially of laterally extending overlapping leaves or'wings l0 and 11 of eXib-le, preferably resilient material, such as sheet rubber, secured at their outer edges, for example, to a marmetal, fiber board lthe lever in traversing ginal frame 12, in jointly spanning relation with the guide slot 13 of the vehicle floor in which the clutch lever` 14 operates. y he frame preferably comprises parallel coextensive centrally open plates 12a, 12b, of or any suitablel material secured together by rivetsv 15er lthe equivalent thereof and bolts, screws, or the like for attachment to the vehicle with the opening of the frame 12 in accurate registration with the lever slot. The outer edge of the leaves or wings areA interposed between' and firmly secured by these plates, and lie between the exterior or remote surfaces thereof. v

At the forward end of the closure, or at that end in which the lever vis located when the clutch is closedkor'when the lever is in .what may be termed its normal posit-ion (which. it occupies generally when the car is in operation) the leaves or wings are cut away, as at 17 to form beveled or diagonal, rearwardly convergent cam edges 'bounding' in conjunction with the end wall of the opening in the frame, n seatgfor the reception of thelever. When the lever occupies this seat the leaves or wings are unrestrained and are free to lie in overlapping relation in the plane of the frame and thus elecl. tually close the guide slot for the lever. When tact with the cam edges 17'servesto upwardly deflect the leaves or wings, as shownA in dotted, lines in Figure 2, to permitthe lever to traverse the slot vin the ordinary way. and without restraint or interference.

The device is simple and inexpensive and can be positioned without forming an appreciable orobjectionable projection from the the lever is moved, however, its con havmgroop'enmgs 16 for iioor of the car` and when the lever is in its normal (operative) position the guide slot is effectually closed and draught therethrough excluded, without interposing any obstacle in the way of the ordinary opera-y tion of the lever.

Vhat is claimed: n

A closure for the guide slot of an auto clutch lever or the like, having* laterally projecting yielding leaves or wings spanning thel slot and transversely deflectable by they slot, sad'leaves or wings having obliquely disposedVv cani end edgesin the path of the lever. n

' PAUL J. MOCLOSKEY 

